I enjoyed this interview. Audrey Evans is a candidate that everyone seemed to have an opinion on, and in this conversation I attempted to find out why that is. In this piece, she responds to the comments made by Kristen Kirchner.
Murtz Jaffer: If you had to go back and say something to all of the other candidates (after watching the show), what would you say?
Audrey Evans: It was the most exciting time of my life and I want to thank all of the participants in helping me with this experience.
MJ: Oh, so John obviously was the most respected in your opinion?
AE: I don’t think he was the most respected. I just think that people saw him as a winner. He won the first task and they saw him as a winner. I think that if I would have been the first project manager (which would have been a great idea for me to do)…
MJ: Why didn’t you become the first project manager?
AE: Honestly? I was scared. I was scared because I have never ran and operated a Burger King before. That’s like walking in deep water. I am like a fish out of water. I didn’t know. I think that as the task went, I kept saying that I could do it. You start believing in yourself and you know that you could do it and that you are capable of doing anything.
MJ: It was never a case of I picked this task because it’s this task. It’s more now’s the time for me?
AE: Yeah. And we elected our project managers based on who is most capable of bringing us to a win in that task. Who had more experience in that field.
MJ: So when you did it, was it just a case of feeling like you could finally do it?
AE: I felt like if I didn’t step up to the plate at the time, my team or the men on my team were just going to think of me as more and more of a wasted space.
MJ: Is that what they told you?
AE: No, they didn’t say that. I just felt it from their actions.
MJ: I guess ultimately though, Trump saw through it because he ended up firing Tara.
AE: Yeah, she suffered through it because nobody listened to me. The fact is that I don’t even know what the hell was going on in their head. They didn’t even think that was I was saying was even accurate. You would think that she would have common sense enough to have me be there while they are designing it.
MJ: Since you’re the only one who had played it before?
AE: Well, I had played and John had played the game. John’s admitted that he’s played the game. John sat back and did nothing. He rented an RV that day so we wouldn’t be cold. He played the friggen game and he rented an RV. Very helpful. Useful… useful (laughs). That really helped us win the task. Your RV. Yay! (Laughs).
MJ: So let me make sure that I am getting this. John is basically an RV-renter. It’s sounding to me more like a circus than a business show? Is that how you see it?
AE: It’s not a circus. It’s just funny that these are their personalities. It’s not a circus. In business, they are smart as s***. But their personalities? I’m all about having the personality and business sense and the look, you have to have the whole package to make it great. You can’t just be a pretty face. You have to have a brain too. If that’s all you got, you’re not going to go anywhere. That’s the philosophy that I have lived by for my entire life. I wanted to be a lawyer all of my life. It’s not to talk about me. You’re not just going to be who you are on the outside. You gotta have something on the inside as well.
MJ: That’s who Audrey is, isn’t it? They played up your looks instead of what you have accomplished.
AE: What I have accomplished surpasses my look. The whole thing about me just being a pretty face is the way that they unfortunately treated me.
MJ: Well, it all goes back to that one fundamental point. It all goes back to your looks. I don’t know if that’s what you expected when you went in, but all these allegations of you making a sexual comment in casting… all these allegations of you having relations with another castmember. It all goes back to your looks.
AE: I have no idea where the B.S. started.
MJ: Did you expect that?
AE: I didn’t expect it, because it’s a business show. You would think that these people would act more maturely. I deal with mature adults everyday of my life. It’s interesting because being in the business world, you’re not discriminated against because of the way that you look. You’re actually expected to be more because you are young.
MJ: So you’re street smarts in every sense?
AE: Absolutely.
MJ: What happened to you before you got on the show?
AE: In junior high, my girlfriend had a stash of money in her purse and I asked her where she got it. She said that she had a job and I said that I should get a job too because I wanted money as well. I went to my dad and I asked him if he would hire me. I was 15 years old and I had worked for my parents. I did data entry and would answer the phone. I felt comfortable on the phone and no longer wanted to work for my parents. I got into telemarketing and was making $10/hour. It just started from there. In high school is where I got the itch for Real Estate. I was taking my classes on my days off and the weekends. I put the responsibility on myself, nobody told me to get a job and be responsible.
MJ: Where did you grow up?
AE: I grew up in West Valley, Utah and West Valley is considered the west side of Salt Lake. There’s more poverty there and it’s more middle class and lower class. I wanted to be a tomboy my parents put an end to that when I walked in the door and saw my bags packed and a plane ticket to Peru. In an all girls catholic (I was raised Mormon) school that I knew nothing about. I had to wear those dresses and learn to read and write in Spanish. Cuszo is 11,000 ft. I had to wash my clothes by hand. I hated my parents for sending me there but today I would live there in a heartbeat.
MJ: Isn’t it ironic to look at where you were then and where you are now?
AE: I remember my Sadie Hawkins dances. The guy that I asked was one of the hottest kids in school. It was the weirdest thing. It was so funny. I was like a little schoolgirl. I wrote him a little note and asked if he wanted to go to the dance with me and I had this little YES or NO box. And he marked YES. (Laughs).
MJ: And yet you were on your knees, begging this kid to go to the dance with you?
AE: (Laughs). Will you go to the dance with me? It wasn’t until my senior year when I got into class and asked one of the guys for help and he offered to assist me. Then I said, you know, I gotta tell you something. Why do you guys sit on your Cloud 9 and ignore me. I am a chick. I like boys and stuff. What’s going on? He says, ‘do you realize that you’re beautiful in this school. We are afraid of you!’ I said, don’t outcast me! For the love of god. Will you just be my friend and talk to me? Will you just acknowledge me and that I am there.
MJ: It’s funny because everything comes full circle because they were intimidated to talk to you and it’s the same reason that you were so isolated on the show.
AE: That’s why I told you that it was like going back to highschool again.
MJ: That’s exactly what it seems like. Do you find that a lot of people are ignoring what you’ve done and where you have come from in favor of this Kristen feud and the show? Is it frustrating?
AE: No, I have gotten all the attention that I need and there can’t be a feud with only one person. I’m not playing that game.
MJ: Were you happy with the way that you were portrayed? If somebody asked you if that was the Audrey that really existed, would you say yes?
AE: The audience didn’t really get a chance to see me laughing and giggling and all that stuff. That’s more of who I am. I am more happy and outgoing person. I think they did a great job of portraying me though. I think that they really showed everybody’s true colors and what really really goes on.
MJ: You got there because you were smart?
AE: Exactly.
MJ: I know I keep going back to this but obviously this is what people want to hear about. Do you have fond memories of people like Angie complimenting you or has it just been polluted by the people that didn’t like you?
AE: No, no. I think of Kristen and I think of John and I wish them the best of luck in their lives. I got great memories with Kristen. You have to understand that Kristen is hysterical. She’s funny. She can talk your head off, but she is hilarious.
MJ: See, I am not understanding this…
AE: You have to meet her outside of the camera. Did you know that we all went out after a few more people got fired and Kristen is up there doing karaoke. Doing shots, getting drunk. She can karaoke. We were up there and the song was “We Are Family” (by Sister Sledge). We were up there at a bar in New York singing karaoke. It was hysterical! Hysterical!
MJ: How did it degenerate into her accusing you of having sex? You calling her a condom-counter. Even on the show, it never really got that heated. It was more “I don’t like her and she doesn’t like me.”
AE: There was a lot of stuff that was heated and it never came out. I think that was a product of a misguided radio interview.
MJ: For example?
AE: There was a situation on the night that Brian got fired. Kristen was huffing and puffing here and there. Going crazy. She was paranoid as s*** because she knew her head was on the chopping block. I went up to her and I told just to relax. She told me that I was right. I sat down and I told her that the task was just exhausting. It took us three days and we were all burned out. Kristen just doesn’t give up. She just doesn’t keep her mouth shut. I told her that I had heard enough from her and that I wanted to hear what John had to say. She didn’t like me saying that to her.
MJ: That’s ironic, considering that John later went on to say that he was only going to give you 15 seconds to make your point. Here you are, wanting to listen to what he had to say.
AE: (Laughs). I wanted to listen to what he had say. I had gone with the girls to Target, and we’re going to go to the boardroom and Trump is going to ask me who I think should be fired and I needed to be able to put all my thoughts together and say that while I was gone, this is what happened. You know what was embarrassing? Those guys did nothing. We had a crew of 15 men, which included seven Mexicans. We had like 28 guys on the site. We could have done the entire thing.
MJ: So you’re saying that there were too many workers?
AE: There were so many of them, so why couldn’t we get the job done fast enough? It’s because you have Brian over there who doesn’t even… (laughs). It was just a disaster. These men, I’ll tell you this. They are useless. You could not have them fix a toilet.
MJ: You mean the workers or the guys on your team?
AE: The workers were working.. They were doing all of the work and the guys were just sitting down and saying “you need to do this,” and you “need to do that.” Brian came into my room at like 4 AM and said “Audrey, I thought you were going to help me with the Mexicans.” I said “what the hell do you need?” He said, “they are painting the wrong walls.” So I said “really?” I got up and I went to the Mexicans and I said in English, “Wall, no paint.” I was like directing him with my hand. As if I had a paintbrush in my hand. Paint, no. Paint this wall, yes. Paint this wall, no. I went into the room with a paintbrush and I marked every wall that I wanted them to paint. I speak Spanish fluently. It’s not like I couldn’t tell the guys in Spanish, right there and then. I have had Brian look at me so that he could see that these guys could be directed. They are not ignorant and stupid. He treated them that way. The guys couldn’t even give directions to these Mexicans. It’s plain English to paint a wall. You could do it in many languages by just using sign language. These guys treated them like they were stupid.
MJ: Do you think that there was a level of arrogance that was coming into play?
AE: Oh yeah. There’s John who was the project manager in the task before. He can’t be fired in this task so he wanted to be looking like the superhero. He was not going to go to bed until 8 or 10 the next day, because he didn’t want his team to think that he didn’t do anything for the whole day. It’s like, you have 14 guys working here. 14. You don’t need 14 men. We had 14 rooms. I don’t want to remember that experience. That was probably the one that I was just kicking myself in the ass for, thinking why I wasn’t the project manager. That was my task. I should have been project manager in that task. I should have, I should have, I should have. I refurbish homes. I do this for a living.
MJ: By that point, you hadn’t burned any bridges with anyone.
AE: Yeah Kristen in the middle of the parking lot yelling at Brian. Me yelling at Brian and Chris. Oh Chris who said that he refurbishes houses but that he doesn’t do the work (laughs). God, I love Chris’ psycho moments. (Laughs). Where he curls up his lip and shows his teeth. On my task, the money was lost. Tana calls and tells me to ask Chris where the money is at and Chris is flipping out. He kept screaming “I DIDN’T STEAL THE MONEY!”
MJ: I always felt like he was getting ready to bomb somebody in those boardrooms.
AE: Oh my god. Isn’t that intense? Well he did at Angie after the Motel task. He scared the living s*** out of her, she thought that he was going to strangle her in the middle of the night. Pretty freaky s***. They made up, but boy was that hell. Then it was my turn. On my task as project manager, Tana comes up to me and says Chris is in her way and to get him out of the front. So I take him to the store to return some items (I felt like I was mom and we were going to the store). We get about 5 blocks and we get a call. It’s Tana. “Hey guys, how’s it going? Can you ask Chris if he knows where the money is?” Oh my god. Chris says “I LEFT IT RIGHT THERE!” Okay. God. Ugh. I was really mad at him at this point and now I am not speaking to him. He knows that I was really mad at him at this point (oh and my other son John on the phone telling me he doesn’t want to get into the clown suit). Chris knew that I was upset and being very short with him. We go into the store and when we get back to the van, Chris says “Audrey, I am sorry for getting upset.” I said “Chris, I want you to just listen to me. I am going to say something and I just want you to listen. I would never ever ever ever expect you would in a million years steal any money or purposely hide the money. Your problem is that when there is a problem and somebody is asking you a question, you go on the defensive instead of helping me find a solution to the problem and not give me more grief and have to calm you down and have to be hysterical. You need to calm down. I asked you where the money was at. So where could it be? You would think that he would be a little more concerned. The money is GONE!
MJ: Exactly. It’s not even about the money anymore. It’s about who is getting blamed.
AE: I was just like wow. Wow. He’s more upset that somebody is accusing him of stealing the money.
MJ: Yeah, you’re just asking where the money is. Not who is responsible.
AE: Yeah, you really think you’re going to walk away with $300? We don’t have any money! (Laughs). It was hysterical.
MJ: Here’s a question for you. Kristen talks about how Audrey wasn’t respected because of her age (which you have even told me). Kristen said that if that was the case, if Audrey was disrespected because of her age, then why didn’t we alienate Chris for the same reason.
AE: Because Chris kissed up to John and Craig.
MJ: And we got a taste of that on your show.
AE: Yeah, you saw it. John is like the big brother and Craig was the dad.
MJ: Do you think this whole thing is sour grapes because of the fact that you lasted longer than some people and now they are trying to get back at you by confronting you on radio shows? By bringing stuff up.
AE: What’s sad is that I walked away with no hard feelings. A great experience.
MJ: Good memories than bad?
AE: Great experience, great memories.
MJ: Have they taken that away from you by acting in the way that they have?
AE: No, not at all because I still have that inside of me.
MJ: It’s just mind-boggling to me. Obviously if you get cast on a show where millions of people apply, that’s a great thing but I don’t understand how you could not be affected by it. I mean I am removed from the situation and I am affected by the amount of hate that has transpired post-show.
AE: I don’t know if it is really hate.
MJ: I actually think that it is worse than hate. I can come up and say that I hate Audrey. That she is a horrible person, but that’s a thing between me and you. This is now in a public sphere. Now we’re making allegations that affect your spouses. Allegations that affect other people’s spouses. Allegations that take away from the fact that you got cast on this show because of who you are. It’s mind-numbing to me that you aren’t upset about it.
AE: I am not. I have walked away such a bigger person. This was literally a circus. John said that. “This is literally a circus.” I agree. It was. And thanks for participating in it.
MJ: That was priceless. Seeing him dressed as a clown.
AE: (Laughs). And you know what was funny? When he went to the kids and was like “comeondoyouwannaseesomeJUGGLERS?” (Laughs). I am like “okay.” A little more positively there. John is a pretty funny guy.
MJ: I am listening to you say this, and I am just like ‘wow’ she’s a glass-half full people. You’re saying that the bitterness of Kristen and John is not going to get them as far as Audrey’s positivity?
AE: I am not going to say that they are bitter. I am going to say that if anybody has anything nice or not nice they want to say about me, they are more than welcome to say whatever they want to say.
MJ: I know. You are getting interviewed by a dude in Canada.
AE: See, how cool is that?
MJ: I want to make sure before we end, that I get you on-the-record about a couple of things. It’s funny because you are reminding me so much of Troy from the first season where it’s like this hard-luck guy gets a shot and Trump just takes a liking to you.
AE: Mmm hmm.
MJ: So I guess the goodness comes through.
AE: It’s overwhelming that Mr. Trump is such an incredible man. He is such a powerful man. Deep down inside, he just has humanity all over him. He’s still real.
MJ: Here’s my question, and I hate to do this to you but you must have known that I would ask a lot about Kristen. Have you heard the allegations about how Kristen said that Trump has been very sexist in his firings. Listening to you speak about how great he is, and how big of an influence he has had on you, do you find her reaction to him, interesting?
AE: We dud a radio interview the other day, and that is what she said. I don’t think that Mr. Trump is sexist at all. He is a very wise man. He makes decisions based on business, instinct, and who he confides in. That’s the direction that he goes in making decisions.
MJ: I need your take on a couple of things. Do you hate Kristen?
AE: I don’t hate Kristen.
MJ: Even though she has basically said, let’s just go through the list:
a) You’re Spanish trash.
b) You had sex with another contestant.
c) You made a sexual reference to get on the show
And she has confronted you on the radio. You don’t hate her?
AE: I don’t hate her at all. I just know that I am such a bigger person. I am 22 years old. She is 32 years old. 32. She’s going to hate the fact that I couldn’t give a s*** about what she is saying. She’s trying to be a movie star. She’s been trying to get into this thing for so long and it hasn’t worked. She’s trying to do everything she can to stay in the limelight. Omarosa, there’s only one. There can’t be two. I just don’t want to belittle myself to her level. Kristen, you could have a lot more to offer than what you showed on The Apprentice. Kristen’s like a pill with a warning. Take in small doses.
MJ: What does that have to do with anything?
AE: I am 22.
MJ: Yeah, but you can be 32 and hate a 22-year-old quite easily.
AE: Exactly. Exactly.
MJ: I am not following the point.
AE: My point is that, she’s just pissed because I got her fired. And she’s just pissed because I am 10 years younger than her and I got her fired. I outsmarted her.
MJ: And now you don’t have to respond because now it is just sour grapes.
AE: I think she’s just pissed because somebody that’s 10 years younger than her, outsmarted her and got her fired. She just can’t keep her mouth shut. The condom-counting? I didn’t know they had a job for that. I didn’t know that she had applied for the job.
MJ: What exactly happened? What did she say?
AE: That’s what she said. She was condom-counting! We’re all sitting there and hanging out after we got fired and I said that I can’t wait for the next person to come home. I can’t wait. This is now on the other side. We’re no longer in competition with each other. Anybody can do anything they want at this point, but people are going to act differently (now that the cameras are no longer on). One time, we were watching the elections and Tara is sitting at the bar with Tarshi and some others. I said something about the American people speaking. I said that this was going to be a hard year (when Bush is winning). That was it. That was the end of it. That’s when I said that I wasn’t even going to be around these people anymore. I am not even going to hang out. I am not even going to speak to them. Kristen can say that I am Spanish trash and all that stuff. When they say it to my face, or they insult me that way. That’s it.
MJ: Would you rather have it the way that Kristen did it in my interview or would you rather them say stuff to your face?
AE: It doesn’t hurt as much when it is done through your interviews. It doesn’t phase me. Those are just words in the air. It’s like “that’s great.” To my face, it would be a lot more hurtful.
MJ: I totally maintain the opposite position. I’d be like the interview is worse because I am not there to defend it.
AE: It’s just hearsay. When they say it to your face, after that I didn’t trust anybody there. It’s interesting that people got so wrapped up in condom-counting and who is sleeping with who and who is drinking with you. I never once had a drink with anybody that was there. Never. Not one drink with anybody there. Not one god-d*** drink with anybody in the apartment. When we were all out together as a group, I was hanging out and having some drinks. This and that. That was it. I never was with any of them one-on-one. These people were so stupid and didn’t sit back to realize how consumed they were in trying to be in everybody’s business. This is how stupid it is.
MJ: Are you saying that the guys victimized the women and John was arrogant. Were they all arrogant or was it just John.
AE: They were all cocky.
MJ: Who was the worst?
AE: John. Hello? Didn’t you see him with Gene Simmons? Where he is sitting in front of the guy and saying “I got a great story.” (Laughs).
MJ: This is a question that I have been asked to ask you specifically. Some of the women were approached by a magazine to do a photo shoot. Why weren’t you approached?
AE: I don’t know?
MJ: Okay, simple as that. Another question. Do you think that the press that you have received after the show is comparable to the press that everybody else has gotten?
AE: No. I think that I have had an extra amount of limelight.
MJ: Really?
AE: The National Enquirer called me five days after I was fired and asked me if all the Apprentice got as much attention as I did.
MJ: Well the rumor was that you weren’t getting as much as the others.
AE: Ha. I have my own thing in USA Today where it says “Too Pretty For The Apprentice.”
MJ: Who do you like the most, like the least, would fire next and would ultimately hire to be your Apprentice?
AE: Like the most? Kendra.
MJ: Like the least?
AE: The person that I like the least is Brian because of the fact that he called me a name.
MJ: Who would you fire next?
AE: Chris… for the love. For the love. His psychotic episodes that he’s going to have.
MJ: Who would you hire to be your Apprentice?
AE: I would hire Kendra.
MJ: We saw no interaction between you…
AE: I have gotten a chance to talk her after the show over the phone.
MJ: Who do you still talk to?
AE: I have stayed at Angie’s house a couple of times. Her and I are like two peas in a pod. The Apprentice was supposed to be about. Saying what a f***** up experience it was and how I can’t believe we signed up for it. That’s what Angie and I do. Walking away as friends forever. Alex. Michael.
